Background: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a high coverage of childhood immunizations, but since coverage highly depends on the knowledge and attitude of mothers, it is important to assess these in a rapidly developing and changing society. Methods: The survey enrolled 217 women attending maternity clinics in Al Ain, a traditional desert city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE and estimated the prevalence of a positive attitude towards immunizations. Knowledge and attitude variables as well as factors related to these variables were explored. Results: Having a positive attitude towards immunizations was prevalent in 93% of mothers. Three factors significantly related to a positive attitude arose: knowledge, education and Arab nationality. Three factors associated with knowledge also arose: education, receipt of information on immunizations from health professionals and, again, Arab nationality. Conclusion: Despite the currently highly prevalent positive attitude towards immunizations in the United Arab Emirates, information by health professionals should focus more on parents with lower education and those of non-Arab nationality.

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The purpose of the study was to assess association between depressive symptoms and different domains of the cognitive status in patients with acute ischemic stroke and to identify cognitive domains that significantly correlated with the presence of depressive symptoms. The study comprised 40 acute ischemic stroke patients (14 women and 26 men) aged 45-78 years (± SEM 55.6 yrs.), with 8-16 years of education ((± SEM 13 years). Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depressive symptoms whereas the cognitive status was evaluated using a comprehensive neuropsychological testing battery which measures performance in different cognitive domains. The following domains were evaluated: visualconstructive performance in two dimensions and executive function, language, immediate recall, delayed recall, attention, divergent reasoning. The multiple regression analysis was applied. The results showed the overall regression model to be significant [R= 0.601; R²= 0.362; F (7.62) =5.031; p<0.001]. The language domain was found to be a significant partial predictor of depression, with poorer performance in this domain correlating with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms.

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The concept of structured Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) and residency training gained widespread support from Emirati regional health authorities and has become a national priority in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In cosmopolitan countries, such as the UAE, residents/ trainees are tutored and supervised by trainers from diverse cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. The roles and responsibilities of trainees are defined, thereby ensuring the appropriateness and safety of patient care countrywide in situations where trainees are involved. The aim of this project was to develop guidelines for a Code of Ethics that would govern the conduct and activities of postgraduate trainees in various medical specialties countrywide. Elements of Residency training involving ethics and professionalism highlighted by various international organizations with recognized high ethical standards and the opinions scholars who have published in this field were reviewed and adapted, with preservation of core Islamic values. This document focuses on professional responsibilities in several domains: professional practice standards, professional community standards, research standards, professional relationships with colleagues, physician duties towards society, physician duties towards workplace establishment, the relationships between trainees and industry, reporting responsibilities, and lists of some behaviors that are considered unacceptable. A formal document is now available to all postgraduate trainees (Residents) to emphasize the importance and relevance of ethical considerations and professionalism in PGME with a strong sense of obligation to patients’ best interests.

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